Time after Time
by DreadfulDesire
Summary: Batman had failed a robin, before. But Dick Grayson vows he won't let history repeat . He journeys to bring back his little brother - his robin . Willing to sacrifice himself in the process , Dick makes a deal with the devil . Can Bruce get back both his sons untouched or is history going to repeat itself again ? Will Bruce once again watch his family die before him ?


**CHAPTER ONE - HISTORY REPEATS**

_History seemed to repeat itself . Because, once again Batman had failed Robin. Dick Grayson's hands held nothing but a hooded cape. With his black hair and tan skin, mouth open and eyes pleading – Damian Wayne finally looked like a child – a vulnerable – inexperienced child instead of a crime fighter or an assassin. And once again – Batman had failed a robin. Dick Grayson had failed __**his**__ robin. He taught Damian – he trained with him and he watched him fight and fly . And Dick Grayson had already failed one brother – but he refused to let history repeat. _

Barbara stared at her reflection – once again shaking her toes just to make sure there was movement. Her eyes began to water . Filling with joy – she imagined the moment when she could stand by herself without that wheelchair ,she depended on. She wished to do something as simple as climbing the stairs.

And as she turns – her heart leaps . The only person who could sneak up on her was standing behind her. He was suited up .

"Dick .. What happened ? Do you need a …" She was silenced by a kiss – a red hot kiss and her words melted away, but not that wasn't her concern. She and Dick had a fight. They were no longer an item – but here they were in the middle of her apartment locking lips. She willed herself the strength to voice her concerns – she saw anger , frustration and sadness roll of him . But to do that she'd need to break away from his embrace. His behavior was cryptic – but she didn't care. She craved this behavior – before when they were together, he would be so delicate with her . He treated her like she was fragile – breakable. So excuse her if she decides to wallow in his animalistic rage, the teeth scrape her neck and she smiles . Her ears dance with the grunts of "I love you."

She smiles in her state of euphoria – as she falls into a deep sleep - she hears something .

"I'm sorry . I love you . " Dick whispers , but she is already asleep . Content with the strong arms wrapped around her waist .

Bruce Wayne , once again hides . He hides from the shame , the stares , the expectations . Damian , his son died under his watch . And he feels so useless – like he's back in the alley , his head down as he hears the sickening snap of pearls hitting the pavement followed promptly by the collapse of two full grown bodies. His eyes grow used to the sight of the rainwater change into a dull red color.

But this time – he does not watch the scene of his nightmares. This time , he sees himself , gun in hand watching Damian and Jason fall onto the hard pavement. And Dick Grayson looks just like him on that night. Dick looks up to him with eyes full of disgust . And once again history repeats – he causes his family to fall .

Bruce watched Dick and realizes that history has run its course once more. He sees Dick Grayson lose his family in front of him – again. He watched Jason and Damian die. He sees Dick's expression – his blue eyes filled to the brim with tears and he sees anger grip him. He sees vengeance in those blue orbs. He sees himself. He hears Tim's diatribe , his taunts , his yells. He sees Tim run over to Damian . He sees Alfred's mouth turn sour as he picks up Robin's cape and drapes it around Dick . Just like how Alfred draped a towel around Bruce's shoulders that fateful night in the alley.

He watches it again . His hands bleed around the metal , his eyes plead for Dick's understanding. His heart breaks as he watches Jason and Damian slowly fade away . His ears hurt from Tim's screams . And he breaks when he feels Alfred pat his back .

He watches it again … He watched history repeat in front of him . Because of him – he is culpable . He is the one to blame – the only culprit . He watches his sons, his soldiers break because of the game – he forced them into.

He watches it again.

And again.

Barbara wakes up cold and alone. She should of stopped him from using her last night . They weren't together. She knows that Dick Grayson is her drug , her weakness. She remembered that he gave her joy like no one else – how he could make her laugh like no one else . She forgot that nobody made her cry like Dick Grayson .

She let history repeat .

She let herself wake up cold and alone.

Barbara's eyes squint at the mourning's sunlight. Reminding her of the radiating joy of someone – she does not want to mention. She is not a mourning person. She is a creature of the night – and the brightness makes her a curmudgeon. But secretly – she loves the sight of the sun and the way the mourning's warmth hugs her – reliving her of the cold night.

She hears the phone ring. She answers it , and as her mind processes the information that has been supplied - she drops the phone . She hears the echo of a gunshot and a sharp acute pain in her legs. The pain debilitates her and she can't wiggle her toes anymore. She wallows in the news as she feels the cold night surround her, once again.

Jason 's ears cannot believe what they heard.

Bruce has failed the demon child.

Jason's hands reach for the red helmet . Time to visit the family regarding devil spawn. His hands quickly put on the hood . The helmet gives him comfort . It hides his emotions, his tears. He feels the pain of death so well. He wills himself to take a breath as he waits for his face to have a dearth of emotion.

Time to get home. Time to see – history repeat , but this time – he's in the scene – instead of backstage – 3 feet down.

It's no secret that Tim doesn't like Damian. No . He doesn't like him at all. He watched Steph cry into Cass's shoulder. Cassandra for once is the one speaking. Cassandra was always quite diffident , so introverted but now he watches her crack. She repeats the word no – again – and again.

Cassandra screams the word until her throat is raw and red.

Tim looks at his family or at least what's left of it. He knows that more will be lost . He knows that next time – it could be him . It could be Steph or Cassie . Or Dick . He knows that the demography of the Wayne family will fluctuate. He knows that this is only the beginning of their crusade. He knows . He just knows that history will repeat.

Tim doesn't like Damian.

Tim loves to hate him , but there's still the word love in that sentence.

When Alfred hears the news, he drops the tray he was holding. His hands clutch the dilapidated ruins of the batcave. Alfred sees their eyes – eyes usually full of deference to their surrogate grand-father fill with shock.

Alfred stares at the Batcave's glass cabinets filled with costumes of the past robins. He sees Damian's costume on the chair – defunct . But quickly – he regains his composure. His actions were most deplorable . He was the Batfamily's rock . He had to stay strong. Even if his heart was broken - He had to stay strong . He deprecates his behavior. He has to be strong, even if he doesn't like the ending of this situation. Because he's seen this before. But he'll see it again. History repeats.

Dick Grayson stands with tears in his eyes. But he's flying through the city . His movements are deft with grace . He soars. Damian's not dead . His mind repeats. Maybe if he repeats it enough – he'll believe it. His hands almost slip , maybe he's not as dexterous as he thought. He swears he hears Damian voice.

"Tt. Grayson – that was just sloppy . Good thing you have me as your robin otherwise Gotham would be doomed. "

"You know you love me, Dami . "

"I detest you , Grayson. Don't you call me that or you will wake up with a sword down your throat. "

Damian's derogatory comments ring in his head. And Dick swears he almost smiled. Almost. He scolds himself for letting his mind deviate from the mission. He had to deter this behavior - He couldn't be careless . Everything depended on this. Dami depended on this. His feet hit the sand. The vast expanse of desolate land stretches on. He hopes that his supplies are enough. He has to be careful not to deplete these – it would take forever to get to his destination if he was destitute. He had to remember everything Bruce taught him – if he was going to do this right. No room for mistakes , no room to digress form the path that he had mapped out. Diligently , efficiently , he makes his way through the desert . Praying that Roy gave him the right address. No one could trust Cheshire.

He smiled as he saw his destination. Time to deal with the devil . Deal with the demon head. Watch out League of shadows – Dick Grayson was adamant . History would not repeat itself.

**AN – Thank you , guys . I really think this one will be multi-chapter. I actually like the way this has come out. Also I don't own Batman , Nightwing or any of the Robins. **

**REVIEW !**


End file.
